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RYA (Royal Yachting Association) Training Centre
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About AYE

AYE is a small sailing school comprising one skipper, and one manning the office. This means that the quality of sailing instruction, boat maintenance, food and comfort can be put at the forefront of our practice. Our prices are competitive because we aim to keep our overheads to a minimum thus providing a cost effective service to our customers.

The Man

The owner and principal of AYE is Sticky Stapylton, a trainer and teacher throughout his life, he is a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) qualified Yachtmaster Instructor, a Yachtmaster Ocean and authorised to teach the Short Range Certificate to qualify students in the use of VHF radio. Sticky has sailed in the South China Sea, the Arabian Gulf, the Red and Mediterranean seas and the Atlantic Ocean. The majority of his sailing has been in the English Channel, with regular trips to south Brittany, the Bristol Channel and Eire.

 

The Boats

Sticky works with a number of sailing schools and has taught on the following boats during the 2009 season:

 

The Base

The main operating base depends on the school with which Sticky is operating. Most schools he works with sail from yacht havens in the Solent, but if you wish to be taught closer to your own home or sailing area, just make contact and it will be fixed for you!

 

AYE Ethos

Sticky's main maxim is that sailing must be exciting but also safe. Courses are planned to give students the best possible instruction, with the minimum of risk; however all teaching has to be dependent on the weather and tides, the boat and crew capabilities. The more advanced students are likely to encounter stretching situations which are designed to make them think and learn from their own and others' reactions.

Leave no stone unturned is another principle of Sticky's training methods, particularly when teaching at Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore levels. It is essential in the preparatory days before an exam to ensure that the candidates for assessment are ready for all that can be thrown at them. The courses are intensive, but time is left to chill out before the examiner comes on board. Sticky has prepared many candidates for these assessments over the last eight years, and has had few failures.

For all courses emphasis is on hard work with relaxation at the end of the day. The aim is for the crew to walk off the boat with a smile, wanting to come back for more.